PTI authorises Fazl to mediate between govt, opposition, says Junaid Akbar

PTI Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa President Junaid Akbar announced on Thursday that the party has granted Maulana Fazlur Rehman of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) the authority to act as a mediator between the government and opposition parties during the current political crisis. During a discussion on Dunya Mehar Bukhari Kay Sath, Akbar disclosed that he had spoken with Maulana Fazl about the necessity for opposition groups to collaborate for the protection of the Constitution and democracy.

However, he emphasized that PTI had not invited the JUI-F chief to join the ongoing long march, which was focused on securing a meeting with PTI's founder, Imran Khan, his release, and the hearings of his cases. Akbar stated, "Our own desire is that we move forward by taking all political parties along." Maulana Fazl himself had approached PTI to postpone the long march, informing the party that he would return from Umrah on October 7 and serve as the mediator, as he desired to resolve the issues through dialogue.

PTI has consistently aimed to resolve political disputes through negotiations, but when its requests for space were not honored, Akbar affirmed that taking to the streets remained a legitimate and lawful course of action. He emphasized that the government had not indicated any offer to PTI, with the only contact being the government reaching out to JUI-F leader Maulana Fazl, who then requested PTI's permission to play the mediating role.

Akbar confirmed that PTI had authorized the JUI-F chief to mediate between the government and opposition over the recent disagreement, indicating no objection if the government also wished for him to undertake this task. Regarding negotiations with the government, Akbar noted that the two sides were "almost" in agreement, but the issue of terrorism, on which he believed consensus was necessary, had been made contentious.

He also mentioned ongoing discussions about concluding the long march and questioned the intrusion of military operations and emergency into the talks. Akbar asserted that the government did not desire resolution through dialogue. Separately, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja denied reports suggesting the party would resign from parliament or boycott the assembly session if an emergency or governor's rule was imposed.

Raja stated that no decision had been made on either matter and that the party would decide after a meeting of its parliamentary party. When questioned about the meeting with Maulana Fazl, Raja affirmed that the discussion had centered on issues pertaining to the country's recent political landscape but firmly denied that the JUI-F chief was mediating in any capacity.

Raja reiterated that the constitutional rights of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were under threat and that Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was defending those rights. He asserted that the long march was a political process and a legal and constitutional entitlement, questioning why the party should retreat. Raja emphasized that PTI founder Imran Khan must remain active in the nation's political sphere and maintained that he should be included in any political dialogue.